PLOT: 3.5/5 CHARACTERS: 4/5 ROMANCE: 4/5 ENTERTAINMENT: 4/5
“I could tell by the way you looked at it that it was really something special.” “How did I look at him?” He was afraid to find out. “Oh, son. A hundred years after winter, as a summer day appears. ‘
– Tessa Bailey, Hook, Line and Sinker
My thoughts
A few months ago I read and enjoyed Tessa Bailey’s book It Happened One Summer. The book was an effortless read and was a welcome addition to the heavy reading I was doing at the time. Eager for a similar break, I was looking for something romantic but not too heavy. Nice read, if you will.
And then in my Storytel app came a suggestion for the second book in the series – Hook, Line and Sinker. Without going any further, I decided to go ahead and listen. Read on to learn more about the book and the reading experience.
What to expect?
Expect a contemporary love fiction that is equally emotional and equally fun. A book featuring an unexpectedly romantic couple: a crab fisherman and a Hollywood production assistant. Expect a friend-in-love story set in the small seaside town of Westport, Washington.
Who can read it?
Almost anyone can pick it up. The book uses simple English that can be read by readers of all levels (including beginners).
As the story goes for free
Fox Thornton, King crab fisherman, is known as the village Casanova. Her good looks and raw masculine appeal are enough to make her lose weight. To make matters worse, she is a woman. After all, it’s not in vain that he’s known as a player, a flirt, a heartbreaker.
Love is just a physical need for him. He never cares much about emotions, he always avoids entering into relationships. So with clear basic rules, its standard operating procedure remains almost the same. And that’s how he’s enjoyed it all these years.
So why does it all make sense when she meets Hannah Bellinger?
Hannah, she doesn’t seem to fall for her charm. Hannah, the only girl who doesn’t want to be with him physically. But oddly enough, he seems to like it because of his personality and carelessness. And because he likes his company so much, he wants to be his friend.
Now Hannah is in town for a film she’s working on, and she has no choice but to fail in Fox’s replacement bedroom. For Fox, this is causing trouble. As if this is not torturous enough, she admits to helping her loved one gain her love.
Will Fox overcome his feelings for Hannah?
Or will Hannah be able to win her boyfriend?
What twists and turns will the Fox and Hannah story bring this summer?
The characters are something
Hannah and Fox are both flawed, but not as usual. Hannah, despite being a gem, refuses to see her worth. It’s like a delicate, uncertain, and unpolished version of yourself that doesn’t know how it affects others. Her most lovable quality is that she always puts others before her.
Even at first, Fox appears smart and stupid. But as the pages go by, the reader witnesses how his character is layered: safe on the outside but safe on the inside. And the two ways to help each other grow are #friendship goals and #pair goals.
Writing
It’s interesting to delve into Fox and Hannah’s accounts after the brilliant love affair between Piper and Brendan. The many references to music give the book a unique atmosphere and the dreamy atmosphere of the seaport town.
I have to say this, however, would be my favorite in the series It Happened One Summer. On the one hand, the romance is incredibly good, and two, the novelty of the fishing village of the small seaport disappears when the reader arrives at Hook, Line and Sinker. It’s still a good scenario, but the novelty is gone.
In Hook, Line and Sinker, the romance is good, but not as passionate and moving as the reader would expect. The story is also a bit slow, with not enough hooks to push the reader.
With characters like Hannah and Fox, the options were endless, but I think this doesn’t do justice to the outstanding characters. Somewhere deep down, I also feel that the book is burdened with the benchmarks set by the previous one, which is why it does not meet the high expectations of the reader.
Can’t wait to read it? Buy a copy of Hook, Line and Sinker using the link below.
